Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) dropped his full review of Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, titled “iPhone Duo Review: First Generation Fun!” on October 21, 2026. In the roughly 29-minute video, he frames the device exactly as the title suggests: an engaging, polished first-generation product that delivers genuine delight in hardware and form factor while carrying the usual early-adopter compromises in software, weight, and cameras.
The iPhone Duo is a book-style foldable with a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner 120 Hz OLED screen featuring Apple’s nano-texture finish. That matte coating helps hide the crease and reduce reflections, making the large inner panel pleasant for reading, vertical holding, or media. MKBHD highlights the hinge’s variable resistance (sturdy at partial opens), smooth opening/closing animations that intuitively teach new users the form factor, IP68 rating, titanium rails, and overall fit-and-finish that feels refined. Battery life is strong: a combined ~4,900 mAh setup delivers all-day use (often ending with 30%+ remaining on mixed closed/open sessions) and efficiency on par with the iPhone 17 Pro, powered by the 2nm A20 Pro chip. Multitasking stands out too—side-by-side apps, paired apps that launch together, a halfway-open state useful for split keyboard or propped media, automatic standby/tent mode, and seamless continuity when opening or closing mid-task.
He calls the hardware “really fun” and notes that the polish around the edges goes a long way. Features like using the rear cameras with the outer screen in “spouse mode” or “kid mode,” plus the matte inner display feeling ideal for iPad Mini-style vertical use, reinforce the “pocketable iPad Mini” pitch. Cameras are solid for a foldable (dual 48 MP rear setup comparable to other foldables for stills and 4K 30 fps video) but lack a dedicated zoom, ProRes/log, and suffer noisier low-light performance closer to the iPhone 17e than Pro models. The under-display inner selfie is acknowledged as a deliberate trade-off for an uninterrupted screen and is not strong.
The downsides are classic first-gen. The phone is noticeably thicker and heavier than competitors. Button and camera-control placement create a right-handed bias that feels awkward for lefties. There is no Face ID — space constraints mean a power-button fingerprint reader with an intentional slight delay for checking notifications, which MKBHD calls one of the bigger misses relative to other iPhones. Apps are the largest practical frustration at launch: many are unoptimized (misplaced buttons, black bars, elements that look small or stretched on the big screen). Examples include Spotify, Google Maps, and Discord; some smaller apps may never fully adapt. Minor bugs around freezes and half-open continuity appear as well. Cases leave the hinge/rail areas less protected (he recommends a dbrand grip case).
MKBHD’s overall verdict is measured and positive for the right buyer: the iPhone Duo is a fun, polished first-generation foldable best suited to people who want a pocketable larger-screen experience for multitasking, entertainment, and productivity rather than pro filmmaking or pure casual use. At $1,999 (256 GB starting price), it is an expensive early-adopter device — “$2,000 to get an iPad Mini that can fit in your pocket… They made it. They did it.” He expects future iterations to improve based on feedback and notes that more apps should optimize over the coming months. If the price is not a barrier and the form factor excites you, he recommends it after adjusting to the lack of Face ID and the current app situation.
The review aligns with the broader early consensus from other outlets (strong hardware and design execution, battery and multitasking strengths, app optimization as the clear short-term weakness, and a heavy but durable build). MKBHD’s framing of “first generation fun” captures the appeal without overselling it: the device is already more refined in feel and polish than many early Android foldables, yet it still requires patience from users who expect every app and interaction to feel finished on day one.
MacDailyNews Take: For anyone deciding whether the Duo is “for me,” the video’s timestamps are: hardware around 3:21, apps at 14:18, strengths at 20:02, conclusion at 25:11.
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Who listens to this guy anymore?